WASHINGTON, DC - The Business Software Alliance commended in a press release House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) for introducing the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (H.R. 3261) to curb the growing rash of software piracy and other forms of intellectual property theft that are being perpetrated by illicit websites.

“Today Chairman Smith and his co-sponsors in the House of Representatives have taken a good step by introducing legislation to address the problem of online piracy, including software piracy,” said BSA President and CEO Robert Holleyman. “The most common way home and enterprise users engage in software piracy is to buy one copy of a program and then install it on more computers than the license allows. But online piracy is a growing problem for the software industry, too. More and more offshore websites are selling pirated software to buyers in the United States through illegal downloads and mail-order knock-offs.”

“It is a challenge to find effective means to combat piracy,” Holleyman said. “Many online pirates are for-profit businesses that rely on advertising and credit card payments to make money. As Congress continues its work on this legislation, it will be important to strike the right balance between two sets of considerations — enabling effective action against online pirates, while also ensuring the law does not impede technology innovation or the evolution of software and the Internet, which are critical engines for future economic growth. We look forward to working with Chairman Smith and his colleagues as they push this important legislation forward.”

The Business Software Alliance is the leading global advocate for the software industry.